Georgina had been away for four days, which had given Johnny plenty of extra time to go out nicking to get gifts for Elsie – though he kept a close eye over his shoulder for the Old Bill. If they ever caught up with him for shooting that copper in the alleyway, he knew he’d swing for it.
Johnny had brought Elsie an array of gifts – handbags, jewellery, scarves and hats. Yet she still wasn’t satisfied and continued to complain. That evening, he arrived home with a porcelain cup and saucer. He could picture her delicately sipping tea from it and enjoying a fine biscuit from a box that he’d nicked from a posh shop in Chelsea.
‘Hello, sweetheart, I’m home,’ he called through his flat.
When Elsie didn’t answer, Johnny placed the gifts on the kitchen worktop and then went from room to room in search of her. But Elsie wasn’t home and he couldn’t find a note from her either.
The minutes ticked by, and then hours passed. Johnny looked at his watch again. It was after nine. Where was she? As the time passed slowly by, he was becoming more and more worried. He wracked his brains trying to think of where she could be. As far as he knew, she didn’t have any friends to visit and the shops would be closed now. It made no sense. Something must have happened to her. Maybe she had been involved in an accident? It was the only explanation.
Johnny grabbed a pen and paper and left a note for Elsie to say he had gone out to look for her and if she came home, she was to sit tight and he’d be back soon. He signed it with three kisses.
Later, after hours of traipsing the streets and checking the local hospital, Johnny returned home, hoping to find Elsie there. But he found his flat empty and now he was at his wits’ end.
*
The next morning, tired but anxious, Johnny drove round to see Charlotte. He hoped she may have news of Elsie, though he doubted it. Charlotte had disliked her and Elsie reciprocated those feelings.
‘Bloody women,’ he cursed under his breath as he tapped on Charlotte’s window.
After a minute or two she pulled back the curtains, looking surprised to see him.
‘You timed that well,’ Charlotte said, when she opened the front door.
‘Timed what well?’
‘I was just about to leave for work. You can give me a lift.’
‘Yeah, sure,’ Johnny replied. As he set off for the café on Lavender Hill, he asked, ‘Have you seen anything of Elsie?’
‘No. Should I have?’
‘I dunno. I’m worried. She didn’t come home last night. It ain’t like her. I don’t suppose you’ve got any idea of where she could be?’
‘No, not a clue. But good riddance to her. If you ask me, you’re better off without her.’
‘I didn’t ask you, so I’d appreciate you keeping your opinions about Elsie to yourself.’
As they pulled up outside the café, Johnny noticed a familiar figure standing outside, but surely his eyes were deceiving him? ‘Do you know who that is?’ he asked Charlotte.
Charlotte eyed the woman up and down, then turned to Johnny. ‘No, I’ve never seen her before but she looks a bit well-to-do. Do you know her?’
‘Yeah, I think I do. I’m pretty sure that’s Temi Zammit’s wife.’
‘Blimey! What’s she doing here?’
‘I dunno but I’d better find out,’ he answered and climbed out of the car.
As Johnny walked towards Lora Zammit, he thought she looked nervous. She was holding a handkerchief to her nose and glancing up and down the street.
‘Mrs Zammit,’ Johnny said and doffed his hat.
Lora removed the handkerchief for long enough to say, ‘I’m looking for Georgina Garrett.’
‘She’s away at the moment. Can I help you? I’m Johnny Dymond, I work for Miss Garrett.’
‘No, you can’t help me. I need to speak with Georgina.’
‘Charlotte’s just opening the café. Would you like to come in and have a cuppa?’
‘No.’
‘I’m sure you’ve had a long journey here. A coffee instead?’
‘No. I don’t have time. I shouldn’t even be here.’
‘Yeah, well, the fact that you are means it’s obviously important. Miss Garrett should be home any day soon. Can it wait? Or do you want me to pass her a message?’
‘No, it can’t wait. Do you have her telephone number?’
‘I have a number for where she’s staying, but she doesn’t want to be disturbed.’
‘Mr Dymond, please. This is serious. I need to speak to her immediately. Her life may depend on it.’
It was Johnny who looked up and down the street now. Seeing that no one was watching, he quickly bundled Lora inside the café.
‘What do you think you’re doing? Get your hands off me,’ Lora demanded.
Once inside, Charlotte closed and locked the door. Lora didn’t put up any resistance as Johnny managed to easily pin her to the wall. He faced her squarely with his hands on the wall at each side of her head. In a low, growling tone he asked, ‘Why is Miss Garrett’s life in danger?’
Lora glared angrily at him and he snapped threateningly, ‘You’d better start talking.’
‘You know who I am. Therefore you know who I’m married to. My husband would kill you if he knew you were threatening me.’
‘Yeah, but I’m sure you won’t tell him, will you, Mrs Zammit? After all, you’ve said you shouldn’t be here.’
Lora lowered her head. ‘No, I daren’t,’ she said shakily. She fought to compose herself and Johnny felt awful for intimidating her. But Miss Garrett’s wellbeing had to come first. ‘Would you like that cup of tea now?’
Lora nodded.
Charlotte dashed behind the counter and Johnny urged Lora towards a table near the counter and away from the window.
Charlotte brought them both tea and pulled out a seat too.
‘Best you leave me and Mrs Zammit to have a chat,’ Johnny told the girl.
Thankfully, the normally mouthy Charlotte didn’t protest and slipped into the storeroom. Johnny leaned back in his seat and asked Mrs Zammit, ‘Do you want to tell me what this is all about?’
‘How do I know I can trust you?’ she asked.
‘I tell you what. There’s a telephone in the office. You tell me why you want to speak to Miss Garrett and if I think she needs to hear it, we can ring her and you can talk to her. How does that sound?’
‘I’d rather talk to her first.’
‘That’s not going to happen. Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you don’t tell me what the fuck is going on, I’ll ring your husband and ask him. I’m sure he’d be interested to know why you’re sitting in Miss Garrett’s café.’
Lora’s eyes widened. ‘No, you mustn’t say anything to my husband!’
‘Fine, start talking then.’
Lora drew in a long breath and then said, ‘Mrs Flowers visited my husband yesterday. After she talked to him I heard him issuing orders for Georgina’s death.’
‘Elsie? Elsie Flowers?’
‘Yes. I think Temi paid her very generously for information about a robbery at his father’s jewellery shop. He believes Georgina was behind it and now wants her blood. She killed one of his best policemen.’
Johnny could feel his jaw clenching. This explained Elsie’s disappearance but he’d never expected her to sell him out. She’d dropped Miss Garrett in it too, but another thought crossed his mind and he asked, ‘Why are you going behind your husband’s back to warn Miss Garrett?’
Lora lowered her eyes but Johnny had already seen they were filled with unshed tears as she spoke. ‘I don’t always agree with my husband’s business practices and this is one of those occasions,’ she answered, and dabbed at her nose with her handkerchief.
‘You’re risking everything just because you don’t agree with him?’
‘Something like that. Look, Temi puts on a good show. Everyone thinks he’s the perfect husband and I’m the spoiled wife. But believe me, Mr Dymond, behind closed doors he’s a very different man. He frightens me. He’s had many mistresses, but he won’t let me leave him. He’ll never let me go.’
‘So you’re here to get your own back on him?’
‘No, it’s nothing like that. I like Georgina, it’s as simple as that. I saw something in her that I admire and wish I had her courage. Temi made a move on her, I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t have been able to resist. But Georgina turned him down. There’s no woman I know who would say no to Temi. And I don’t believe that Georgina had anything to do with the robbery. It doesn’t seem her style.’
‘You’re right, she didn’t. It was me. But I didn’t know it was Temi’s father’s shop.’
‘Even if Temi found out, it won’t make any difference. You work for Georgina so I’m afraid she’s being held responsible. And from what I could tell, Mrs Flowers laid the blame solely at Georgina’s door.’
‘I don’t know why she’d do that. She knows it was me.’
‘You really don’t understand women very well, do you? It’s obvious that Elsie Flowers wants Georgina out of the way because she mistakenly feels that Georgina stands in the way of her stealing my husband. He’s a powerful man and very generous with his lovers. Mrs Flowers has known of my husband’s indiscretions for years. Her husband did Temi’s accounts. She would have seen how much money he lavished on his tarts. That woman has always had a liking for expensive things. And now she has a liking for what Temi can give her.’
Johnny refrained from slamming his fist down on the table, but anger coursed through his veins. Elsie Flowers had taken him for a ride and made a fool of him.
A tap on the window caused Lora to flinch. Johnny saw it was Fleur and Charlotte ran out of the storeroom to let her in. Johnny rose to his feet and said quietly, ‘I have to get word to Miss Garrett.’
Lora scraped her chair back and she too rose to her feet. ‘Yes, you must. I have to go now, but please take care of Miss Garrett and yourself too… all of you,’ she said as she looked from Charlotte to Fleur.
Once Lora had left, Johnny said urgently, ‘Temi Zammit is after Georgina and may hit the café. Fleur go home, sweetheart, and lay low until I tell you it’s safe to come back.’
Fleur, her eyes like saucers, nodded and hurried out, calling, ‘All right. I’ll see ya.’
‘Charlotte, the café ain’t opening so you can go home too.’
‘Why is Temi Zammit after Georgina?’
‘Elsie told him it was Miss Garrett who turned over his father’s shop. And it won’t just be Miss Garrett that they’re after.’
‘Shit! The bitch! I knew it. I knew she couldn’t be trusted.’
‘Yeah, well, we’ll worry about that later,’ Johnny mumbled as he fished in his pocket for the key to Georgina’s office.
Johnny picked up the telephone receiver and held it to his ear. He wasn’t looking forward to having this conversation with Miss Garrett but he couldn’t hide it from her. At least she was safe where she was. He doubted the Zammits knew about Molly Mipple and the farm in Kent. At least, he hoped they didn’t, for all their sakes.
*
Charlotte paced back and forth behind the counter while keeping an eye out of the window. She could ring that bleedin’ Elsie Flowers’ neck and would if she ever set eyes on her again.
Johnny emerged from the office. ‘I can’t get through to her. The line doesn’t seem to be working.’
‘Keep trying,’ Charlotte spat.
Another ten minutes passed and Johnny came into the café again.
‘Well, what did she say?’
‘Nothing. I still can’t get through. Fuck, I’ll have to drive down there.’
‘Hadn’t you better tell Ned and the Barker twins what’s going on? They’re at risk an’ all and ain’t got a clue.’
‘Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Come on, I’ll drop you at the Barkers’. They can keep an eye on you for now.’
‘You can sod right off. I ain’t staying with them or anyone else for that matter. Don’t worry about me, Johnny. It’s Georgina they’re after.’
‘But they’ll take us all down with her. I ain’t leaving you here by yourself and you can’t go home in case they go there looking for Miss Garrett.’
Charlotte chewed on her thumbnail while she thought. What would Georgina do? Certainly not run off and hide with the Barker twins. And neither would she wait at home like a sitting duck. Knowing Georgina, she’d face the problem head on. But Charlotte knew this was too big for her to deal with. ‘I’m coming with you to Kent,’ she told Johnny.
‘No, you ain’t. I don’t want you anywhere near me or Miss Garrett and you know full well that she’d do her nut if I didn’t look after you properly. Just go home and don’t answer your door to anyone.’
Charlotte huffed. They treated her like a little girl and seemed to forget she was almost a married woman. ‘I have to do something to help.’
‘Laying low is the best thing you can do to help me. You’ll be one less person to worry about. And that’s final.’
Charlotte reluctantly agreed. She could see that Johnny wouldn’t change his mind and they were wasting valuable time by arguing about it. ‘Fine, I’ll stay out of the way, but not at home. I’ll go to Fleur’s.’
‘Good girl,’ Johnny said and looked at his watch. ‘Christ, look at the time. I’ve got to find Ned and the Barkers before I go to Kent. Shit, I’d better let Dina know an’ all. At this rate, I won’t get to Miss Garrett until teatime.’
‘Hurry, Johnny. You go, I’ll lock up and as I need to go home to pick up some stuff, I can warn Dina to lay low too.’
‘All right, and thanks,’ Johnny said, dashing off.
*
Nearly two hours later, Charlotte was sitting on an uncomfortable wooden seat in Fleur’s front room. She reached out to put her cup and saucer on the table.
‘Your Morrison shelter doubles up nicely as a table,’ Charlotte said, shuddering at the thought of sleeping under it like a caged animal. It looked just like a large rabbit pen but with a heavy top. And there was only just about enough room for one person to lie in it.
‘Yeah, awful thing. I hope I never have to get inside it. Her downstairs gave it to me when I moved in. I was grateful for it as a table if nothing else. It ain’t like I’ve got much.’
‘It’s not too bad here, Fleur. Now you’re earning decent wages in the café, you’ll soon have this place looking nice.’
‘Yeah, I will. Are you sure you’ll be all right on the floor tonight?’
‘No problem. It’s dry, warm and safe enough.’
‘Are you allowed to tell me why we have to hide out here together?’
‘No, Fleur, sorry, I’m not. But you know Georgina. She’ll soon get it sorted and everything will go back to normal.’
‘I hope so. I like me job in the café. It’s a lot better than being a prossy. I didn’t think anyone would ever give me a normal job.’
As she reached out for her tea, Charlotte’s eyes roamed the sparsely furnished room. The single bed in the corner looked rickety and the mattress appeared to be as thin as cardboard. There were several nails banged in the wall, which Fleur’s clothes hung on. A wash bowl and jug sat on a small wooden cupboard that had the front door missing. Charlotte could see half a loaf of bread on the shelves inside, a cup, three small plates and a tin of sardines. The Morrison shelter took up most of the space in the centre of the room, a wooden chair on each side. Thick, dark curtains hung at the window. They looked to be in good shape. There was a small rug on floorboards in front of the window. It was threadbare but at least added a bit of colour to the room.
Charlotte thought back to her days as a child. She had grown up in poverty. This room reminded her of the two rooms she’d shared with her family. Georgina was staying with them on the farm now, a far cry from their humble beginnings and probably enjoying a big pot of Molly’s stew with fresh vegetables from the farm. Charlotte missed Molly and her mum. But her life was different now. Georgina felt like her family. Oh, gawd, poor Georgina, blissfully unaware that the Zammits had put a target on her head.
‘Do you think it’s all right to pop to the shops? Only I ain’t got much in for us to eat.’
‘No need,’ Charlotte said with a smile. She reached down into her bag beside her and pulled out two buns, a wedge of sliced bacon, a loaf of bread and a small lump of cheese. ‘I shoved this lot in me bag before I left. I didn’t want it going to waste.’
‘You ain’t ’alf clever, Charlotte,’ Fleur said, smacking her lips together.
Charlotte had thought quickly enough to have picked up a few provisions but she didn’t think she was nearly as smart as Georgina. If she was, she wouldn’t be sat in Fleur’s room. She would be out there, predicting the Zammits’ next move and beating them at their own game, just as she hoped Georgina would.